Head college basketball coaches have high salaries in NCAA’s D1 programs. In addition to their base salaries, coaches often receive additional compensation for bonuses, endorsements, and other incentives. Many coaches also receive additional income from television and radio shows, as well as speaking engagements.
At the lower end of the pay scale, many D1 head coaches make between $150,000 and $400,000 annually. I’d estimate that there are at least 75 of them that make over $1 million per year. Division II and III coaches typically make far less, with salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
The salaries of individual coaches vary widely depending on their level of success, the size of their program, and the resources available to them. Not all of their salaries are reported. Private institutions and recent deals might be missing from the list.
You’ll notice that teams with the best odds to win the NCAA tournament have coaches that make a lot of money. If a guy wants to move his name up on the list below, he better take his team on a deep run and get the fanbase excited.
College Basketball Coach Salary: List of Highest Paid in Division I
| Rank | Coach | Team | Salary | Conf. |
|---|
| 1 | John Calipari | Kentucky | $8,533,000 | SEC |
| 2 | Bill Self | Kansas | $5,964,000 | Big 12 |
| 3 | Tom Izzo | Michigan St | $5,739,000 | Big Ten |
| 4 | Rick Barnes | Tennessee | $5,450,000 | SEC |
| 5 | Bruce Pearl | Auburn | $5,449,000 | SEC |
| 6 | Chris Beard | Texas | $5,005,000 | Big 12 |
| 7 | Tony Bennett | Virginia | $4,830,000 | ACC |
| 8 | Brad Underwood | Illinois | $4,601,000 | Big Ten |
| 9 | Bob Huggins | West Virginia | $4,150,000 | Big 12 |
| 10 | Mick Cronin | UCLA | $4,100,000 | Pac-12 |
| 11 | Eric Musselman | Arkansas | $4,100,000 | SEC |
| 12 | Buzz Williams | Texas A&M | $4,100,000 | SEC |
| 13 | Dana Altman | Oregon | $4,010,000 | Pac-12 |
| 14 | Tommy Lloyd | Arizona | $4,000,000 | Pac-12 |
| 15 | Kevin Willard | Maryland | $3,900,000 | Big Ten |
| 16 | Ed Cooley | Providence | $3,751,000 | Big East |
| 17 | Scott Drew | Baylor | $3,707,000 | Big 12 |
| 18 | Greg Gard | Wisconsin | $3,638,000 | Big Ten |
| 19 | Juwan Howard | Michigan | $3,616,000 | Big Ten |
| 20 | Jeff Capel | Pittsburgh | $3,615,000 | ACC |
| 21 | Matt Painter | Purdue | $3,580,000 | Big Ten |
| 22 | Jamie Dixon | Texas Christian | $3,512,000 | Big 12 |
| 23 | Andy Enfield | Southern California | $3,511,000 | Pac-12 |
| 24 | Chris Holtmann | Ohio St. | $3,500,000 | Big Ten |
| 25 | Kenny Payne | Louisville | $3,494,000 | ACC |
| 26 | Nate Oats | Alabama | $3,419,000 | SEC |
| 27 | Michael White | Georgia | $3,405,000 | SEC |
| 28 | Fred Hoiberg | Nebraska | $3,250,000 | Big Ten |
| 29 | Fran McCaffery | Iowa | $3,208,000 | Big Ten |
| 30 | Kelvin Sampson | Houston | $3,200,000 | AAC |
| 31 | Kermit Davis | Mississippi | $3,152,000 | SEC |
| 32 | Jerry Stackhouse | Vanderbilt | $3,138,000 | SEC |
| 33 | Mark Adams | Texas Tech | $3,108,000 | Big 12 |
| 34 | Todd Golden | Florida | $3,100,000 | SEC |
| 35 | Mike Woodson | Indiana | $3,075,000 | Big Ten |
| 36 | Matt McMahon | Louisiana State | $3,035,000 | SEC |
| 37 | Mike Hopkins | Washington | $3,015,000 | Pac-12 |
| 38 | Mike Boynton | Oklahoma State | $3,000,000 | Big 12 |
| 39 | Steve Pikiell | Rutgers | $3,000,000 | Big Ten |
| 40 | Chris Collins | Northwestern | $2,893,000 | Big Ten |
| 41 | Kevin Keatts | NC State | $2,804,000 | ACC |
| 42 | Porter Moser | Oklahoma | $2,800,000 | Big 12 |
| 43 | Brad Brownell | Clemson | $2,771,000 | ACC |
| 44 | Wayne Tinkle | Oregon St. | $2,674,000 | Pac-12 |
| 45 | Bobby Hurley | Arizona State | $2,610,000 | Pac-12 |
| 46 | Josh Pastner | Georgia Tech | $2,602,000 | ACC |
| 47 | Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | $2,583,000 | ACC |
| 48 | Jim Larranaga | Miami-Florida | $2,563,000 | ACC |
| 49 | Mike Brey | Notre Dame | $2,501,000 | ACC |
| 50 | Mike Young | Virginia Tech | $2,500,000 | ACC |
| 51 | Dennis Gates | Missouri | $2,500,000 | SEC |
| 52 | Hubert Davis | North Carolina | $2,450,000 | ACC |
| 53 | Tad Boyle | Colorado | $2,425,000 | Pac-12 |
| 54 | Chris Jans | Mississippi State | $2,400,000 | SEC |
| 55 | Leonard Hamilton | Florida State | $2,250,000 | ACC |
| 56 | Lamont Paris | South Carolina | $2,200,000 | SEC |
| 57 | Greg McDermott | Creighton | $2,143,000 | Big East |
| 58 | Jerome Tang | Kansas State | $2,100,000 | Big 12 |
| 59 | Ben Johnson | Minnesota | $2,009,000 | Big Ten |
| 60 | T.J. Otzelberger | Iowa State | $2,000,000 | Big 12 |
| 61 | Craig Smith | Utah | $1,950,000 | Pac-12 |
| 62 | Mark Few | Gonzaga | $1,878,000 | WCC |
| 63 | Mark Fox | California | $1,725,000 | Pac-12 |
| 64 | Mike Rhoades | VCU | $1,723,000 | ATL 10 |
| 65 | Wes Miller | Cincinnati | $1,581,000 | AAC |
| 66 | Kyle Smith | Washington St. | $1,500,000 | Pac-12 |
| 67 | Brian Dutcher | San Diego St. | $1,353,000 | MWC |
| 68 | Steve Alford | Nevada | $1,225,000 | MWC |
| 69 | Steve Forbes | Wake Forest | $1,114,000 | ACC |
| 70 | Isaac Brown | Wichita St. | $1,003,000 | AAC |
| 71 | Randy Bennett | St. Mary’s | $948,000 | WCC |
| 72 | Rick Pitino | Iona | $612,000 | MAAC |
| 73 | Steve Prohm | Murray St. | $520,000 | MVC |
| 74 | Jonas Hayes | Georgia St | $506,000 | S-Belt |
| 75 | Matt Langel | Colgate | $482,000 | Patriot |
| 76 | John Becker | Vermont | $365,000 | AM East |
| 77 | LeVelle Moton | North Carolina Central | $355,000 | MEAC |
| 78 | Greg Heiar | New Mexico St. | $300,000 | WAC |
| 79 | Eric Henderson | South Dakota State | $300,000 | Summit |
| 80 | Johnny Jones | Texas Southern | $275,000 | SWAC |
Average CBB Head Coaching Salaries by Conference
While Mid-Major gigs pay pretty well, it’s a really good job if you can get the head coaching position in one of the bigger conferences. Below you will see the average salary for each conference. At the end of the day, almost no matter where you are at you are going to be in a high tax bracket if you can get the top job.
| Conf. | Total Pay |
|---|
| AAC | 1,928,000 |
| ACC | 2,775,153 |
| AM East | 365,000 |
| ATL 10 | 1,723,000 |
| Big 12 | 3,534,600 |
| Big East | 2,947,000 |
| Big Ten | 3,539,153 |
| MAAC | 612,000 |
| MEAC | 355,000 |
| MVC | 520,000 |
| MWC | 1,289,000 |
| Pac-12 | 2,865,454 |
| Patriot | 482,000 |
| S-Belt | 506,000 |
| SEC | 3,855,785 |
| SWAC | 275,000 |
| Summit | 300,000 |
| WAC | 300,000 |
| WCC | 1,413,000 |
Why Do Men’s D1 NCAAB Coaches Make So Much Money Each Year?
You might be shocked at how much some of these guys make, but just remember how much money a basketball program can generate for a school. A good team gets 20+ home games drawing 10,000 plus in attendance, buying tickets, paying for parking, and then emptying out the concession stands. A bad team sees the seats half-empty. Even average teams can afford millions of dollars to the coaching staff.
It’s no surprise that the top conferences like the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 litter the top of the list. They have the biggest arenas and generate the most revenue. Mid-majors though get addicted to winning, and they will do the best they can to hold on to someone who gives them hope of going to the tournament and competing every year.
And NCAA Tournament appearances and success are big money makers for conferences and schools. You get a lot of media recognition if you can make a run in the dance, giving your school more exposure. Winning in March definitely has its perks!
Check out how much coaches in other sports make:
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